Tag Archives: Mesolithic

CBA North NewsOur alphabet of archaeology is back covering letters K to M – with a series of M’s we have to hand. Again we cover as much of the CBA North region we can for news of interest to all Members and Followers. We start with the killing of a bull – Taurean readers “may wish to look away now” as the news sports reports start, have a quick announcement on the Lake District in case anyone missed it and also notice a further Festival of Archaeology event that covers the Mesolithic to the Medieval.

Best wishes,

CBA North Committee, 18.07.2017

Mithras: Roman Religion from the Thames to TyneAt the Great North Museum: Hancock, Newcastle, Members will recall we had our AGM this year – indeed seeing specially loaned exhibits associated with the Roman cavalry Turma project. Members interested in the Roman period now have another reason to visit the museum to see further specially loaned exhibits associated with the sun god Mithras, appropriate as we are now finally into the summer perhaps. Jonathan Loach of Tyne and Wear Museums has kindly provided us with both the press release and pictures detailing this exhibition.

“This exhibition runs from Saturday 1 July to Sunday 27 August. It brings together for the first time objects found in the 1950s during excavations of two important temples to the god Mithras, at Carrawburgh on Hadrian’s Wall and Walbrook in London.

The Carrawburgh finds – owned by the Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle upon Tyne and on show in the Great North Museum: Hancock – include three altars to Mithras as well as sculptures and religious utensils. They are joined by three exquisite marble heads of Mithras, Minerva and Serapis found at Walbrook [see at the base of today’s articles],…

Caroline McDonald, Manager at the Great North Museum: Hancock, said:“This is a once in a lifetime chance for anyone interested in archaeology to see these two internationally important Roman Mithras collections side by side. It’s never happened before and is not to be missed.“I’m thrilled that we’ve been able to work with the Museum of London, my home for many years, on making this display a reality.”

Mithras was an ancient Persian god adopted in the Roman Empire as the main deity of a mystery religion that flourished in the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD. The religion was open only to men and some scholars believe its worshippers were highly secretive about their rituals and beliefs.

Mithras was both a sun god and a creator god. Iconography found in his temples often focuses on the act of creation in which Mithras kills a bull and life – in the form of ears of wheat – emerges from the slain animal’s tail. The god is frequently depicted as being born of a rock or egg, and the Great North Museum: Hancock holds a unique carving found at Housesteads Roman Fort showing the birth of Mithras from the cosmic egg.

Andrew Parkin, Keeper of Archaeology at the Great North Museum: Hancock, said:“This exhibition provides us with the unique opportunity to tell the story of the worship of Mithras in Roman Britain from two different perspectives. As a god worshipped both in the provincial capital of London and on the northern frontier of Hadrian’s Wall.”

The excavations of the Mithraic temples at Carrawburgh and Walbrook in the 1950s captured the public imagination and stimulated interest in Mithras and the cult-like religion bearing his name.

The London temple was discovered during building work in 1954 and revealed the fine marble sculptures of Mithras, Minerva and Serapis. Around 400,000 visitors came to see the temple in just a fortnight and a campaign to save it was started. Even then Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill was involved in discussions about its preservation. The eventual outcome saw the temple moved to a nearby location where the public could see it.

Roy Stephenson, Head of Archaeological Collections at the Museum of London, said:“We are delighted to be able to share these incredible sculptures with the people of the north-east of England, more especially as the collection at the Great North Museum: Hancock made such a formative impression on me as a child. I encourage everyone to go and see these important artefacts together while they can.”

By the 4th century AD, Roman Mithraism was in decline as Christianity spread across the Empire. The discovery of the heads of Mithras and Serapis at Walbrook – carefully hidden, buried underneath the temple flooring – may attest to the fact that the temple switched its worship to the god Bacchus”.

A pair of events will take place on this Friday, 21 July, at the museum in connection with this exhibition. At 12.30 there will be a gallery talk Why do Museums create imitation Mithraea? and at 17.30 there will be a public talk Staging religious experience in the Mithraeum: Mystagogues and Meanings both by Professor Richard Gordon of Erfurt University. Further details can be foundhere.

Additionally there is also another gallery tour on Friday, 28 July, as part of this exhibition whose details can be foundhere.

The Lake District as a World Heritage SiteMembers and Followers will have doubtless heard or seen the news that the Lake District National Park is Britain’s newest (and 31st) World Heritage Site. Details on this can be found on the pages of the National Parkhere.

This now means that there are four World Heritage Sites within the CBA North region. Uniquely, at the moment, this also means that Ravenglass Roman fort and bath house are located in two World Heritage Sites. There are also four National Parks and four Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty as well – there is much happening in all of these areas. We hope to report upon something from these soon.

The Mesolithic to Medieval at Cresswell: another Festival of Archaeology EventMembers and Followers will recall that we publicised something on the fieldwork around the village and tower at Cresswell, Northumberland, earlier in the year.

Excavations underway at Cresswell Tower earlier in the year

Next week sees a talk, as another within the Festival of Archaeology, which will summarise the findings – thus far – of the project. In a surfeit of M’s for our alphabet will be present with finds from the Mesolithic to the Medieval recorded, by a further M. Barry Mead will describe all in his talk on Wednesday, 26 July, at Cresswell village hall. Details for this event are on the Festival of Archaeology pages here.

Today we have some events and notices hot off the press – we’ve notice of an open day in south-east Northumberland tomorrow, as well as the programme and notice for the opening of bookings of the ever popular annual Durham Archaeology Day on Monday. The regular events of local groups across the region, however, also continue on; Wednesday sees the next of The Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle upon Tyne’s series. This, and others, can be found listed in our Events page of our website.

Best wishes,

CBA North Committee, 18.02.2017

Cresswell Community Archaeology Open-DayBarry Mead and Archaeological Research Services write to us giving information of an open day tomorrow (Sunday) if you are in the Cresswell area of Northumberland. These excavations, whilst concentrating in the area of the Medieval pele, have revealed a range of evidence from the Mesolithic to the Modern. Details are given in the poster below.

County Durham Archaeology Day: Saturday 11 March 2017David Mason and Tracey Donnelly of Durham County Council have provided these details of this year’s annual archaeology day in three weeks time. As ever this will be in the the Council Chamber and Durham Room, at County Hall in Durham. This year’s fascinating talks include:

– The Main Walled Garden at Auckland Castle: Repairs and Conservation.Harry Beamish

– A Round House and a Counting House: Two Recent Historic Building ProjectsRichard Annis

– Historic Building Recording at The Gates, Durham CityTom Addyman

– Recent Archaeological Investigations in the North PenninesPaul Frodsham

– The Balneum of Concangis: A Roman ‘villa’ Rediscovered at Chester-le-StreetDavid Mason

Time: 9:45am – 4:15pm

Cost: £14.00 which includes buffet lunch, teas & coffees; £12.00 for full-time students, please let us know if you have any dietary requirements, or require a vegetarian lunch.

Tickets sell out very quickly so book early to avoid disappointment. Tickets will go on sale from 9.00am Monday 20th February.

To book and pay for a place online follow the link here and click Archaeology Day from the services listed or contact 03000 260000 if you wish to book and pay over the phone.

There will be displays by local societies and archaeological contractors as well as bookstalls in the adjacent Durham Room.

Events listed on the CBA North websiteOurEvents page continues to list further regular events throughout 2017. We’ll be sending out other news and notices of others events in our next email, if we can, next week.

Now Spring 2016 seems to have arrived why not spring into archaeological action this month?

Events start tonight with the Border Archaeological Society [BAS] on places warmer again with prehistoric rock art in Africa, though the speaker will be familiar to many of CBA North-land already, and this week two more talks on recent Mesolithic and Medieval researches in meetings of the Northumberland Archaeological Group [NAG} and Till Valley Archaeological Society [TillVAS].

Other talks cover the Medieval elsewhere across CBA North-land with Furness Abbey in the southwest of our region covered by the Appleby Archaeological Group [Appleby], though looking further westward again next week, and the week after that a Teesside Archaeological Society talk will deal with Durham University excavations of a castle in Wales,

..and then again other talks cover the area from the lowlands to the hills. Take your pick, attend your own local group meetings and why not something else as well? Our list of things known to us for April is below, but feel free to let us know of any more that you know about or would like to publicise. Details for each of the local groups can be found in our Local Societies and Groups page of the website.

Tickets can now be booked for the 2016 County Durham Archaeology Day which will be on Saturday March 12th, 2016.

If you would like to book tickets please fill in the form and return it as soon as possible after Monday February 22nd when the tickets go on sale. Please pay by cheque made out to “Durham County Council”.